Saturday, July 26, 2014

As Lee Fang’s article int The Nation (Guess Who’s Profiting from Pot
Prohibition?/July 21) describes, cannabis legalization poses a clear and
present danger to entrenched, last-century corporations ‘who’ grew up under assumption like they were special and cannabis would forever be contained as a competitive threat. Big
government seems no less stunned by the quickening pace of liberty, and by
their inability to control the message in the age of the internet.

To be sure, restoring the right of Americans to choose
something other than pills, butts and booze is going to hit those industries hard,
particularly because THC is proving to be a safe and effective drug for
treating pill and alcohol dependency. As tincture and oil, cannabis is quietly
working wonders across a wide range of ailments, including seizures, migraines,
Crohn’s, fibromyalgia, chemo relief, ADHD, PTSD, and even cancer.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

A Prohibition state woman contacts a tincture maker in Colorado. Mom has a rare form of cancer. She's not doing well with the chemo, and the disease isn't going anywhere. He makes her a batch of potent green dragon tincture; 8 drops strong. She meets him at the border, gets it to her mom. The mom is skeptical about the pot 'medicine' but agrees to take a full dose four times a day. Weeks go by and then..."I wanted to give you an update on my mom. She continues with chemo and
had scan results about a week and a half ago. The dr. told her that
treatment is working so they will continue to treat. She continues to
take her medicine 4 times a day.

She has been gradually increasing her
dose with a large dose at night. She is sleeping well, still off all
pain meds and is feeling well. She cleaned her room today and went
shopping. She has maintained her weight since starting the
medication.

She went to the dr today and they couldn't believe how great
she looked. A nurse she is close to asked her what she was doing? She
told her she was taking the "stuff". The nurse gave her a high five! Mom
is very pleased with how things are going. She continues to be very
committed to taking her medicine..."

Friday, July 4, 2014

The war on
cannabis is over. It ended earlier this year when the Epilepsy Foundation declared
“an end to seizures should not be determined by one’s zip code.” Eventually Obama,
or the next one in, will be forced by public opinion to 86 Schedule 1 and
reveal our nation's biggest lie.

Scientists and researchers will then rush in to
discover what cannabis patients and others have learned on their own—sometimes
the hard way. Cannabis won’t kill you, but it’s not harmless.

Overdoses
are on the rise, some have had tragic consequences. The dark side of the
cannabis revolution is that the right to choose is returning to a population unaccustomed
to using any sort of complex and powerful medicinal herb. Much less one that
looks like a chocolate bar and tastes divine…

First-timers
with edibles and extracts should go slow, and it’s best to start early on a
free day. If possible, know what you’re getting. Sativa and indica strains can
deliver significantly different strengths and experiences, and activation times
can vary tremendously among the many ways cannabis can be consumed.

A
conservative trial dose of THC is less than 25 milligrams (mg); keep in mind
that a dispensary sweet can easily contain five times that amount. For those
with even less tolerance for risk and/or effect, one-tenth of a 100 mg chocolate
bar can make for a good trial. If you’re getting edibles at the fair, take heed;
potency’s a bragging right in cannabis country.

Green dragon
tincture, a fiery reduction extract made with 190 proof spirits, is a Dionysian
remedy that can put you down and lay you out. If it’s thick and dark emerald
green, test with no more than 8-10 drops (pictured made in Rhode Island from the dank Dutch strain BLZ).

Tincture evaporates to sticky oil
that can produce significant effects from grain-sized doses. On the weaker side
is light green menstrum (first press) which may require 25 drops or more to
yield a desired effect.

Give it an
hour and see how you feel. One of the most common paths to overdose is going
double-down—re-dosing before the first dose has kicked in. Wait at least 90
minutes (or longer) between trials. And know what to do if things get rough.

Taking care
of yourself in the heavy grip of a THC OD can be a nightmarish experience,
especially due to the fear and paranoia that often dominate the early hours. Don’t
move about. Get comfortable. Stay away from the stove and don’t light any
candles. Drink water and juice. You’ll likely be parched and find it’s hard to
swallow so no snacking. Not one chip.

Caring for others
who’ve ingested too much weed takes patience and a soft touch. Gently coax the stricken
to a quiet, dark sit spot; warm, safe, familiar if possible, with pillows and
blankets all around. No bystanders.

A damp cloth
on the forehead/over the eyes may settle the nerves and help with the headache
and nausea. Stay close but don’t engage in the drama. Be the nurse; relax, close your eyes, breathe, you’re safe
here, sleep is on the way…

After a few
hours of peak suffering, a physical malaise will settle things down fast. Cannabis
is not toxic so there’s no hangover after the deep sleep, and no long term
effects, other than maybe wisdom and humility.

WARNING:
People with pre-existing conditions such as angina can be at greater risk.
Watch for symptoms that warrant professional care including trouble breathing,
pale skin color and unresponsiveness. If the individual gets aggressive or
crazed, some other drug’s almost certainly in the mix. Make the call.

Bottom line:
Cannabis is powerful medicine. Don’t be a dope. Use with respect.

Carl Hedberg
is a cannabis care mentor living in Lafayette, Colorado. pvtmeds@hushmail.com